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I was wondering about the hardware comment too, but testing the "out-of-streaming feature" seems like they can send that out as a firmware update a week after it ships. And if it's really a hardware adjustment on the 500 boxed units, which all need to go through testing again, it's not shipping in 2 weeks....

There is apparently a way to use your phone or tablet as a remote w/ Chromecast which we're working on, but yes Roku will be the only way to use a traditional remote control.

I'm sold, I think I'm going to preorder...

Is dolby digital surround sound passthrough still on the short term roadmap?
What happens if I preorder, receive the unit and... it doesn't perform as expected. Is the preorder covered by the same 30-day return policy?

Is dolby digital surround sound passthrough still on the short term roadmap?
What happens if I preorder, receive the unit and... it doesn't perform as expected. Is the preorder covered by the same 30-day return policy?

We're working with one of our chip suppliers to get them to support AC3 passthrough which would let us do surround sound, so yes it's on the roadmap but it's dependent on them providing firmware. We really want to do it so hopefully we'll be able to convince them :)

We obviously hope you'll love your Tablo but even pre-ordered units come with the 30 day return policy. I think you'll be pleased though.

Sorry qz3fwd - We can't do this since the iPad, Apple TV, Roku and other clients can't decode MPEG2. Apparently the HD Homerun from Silicon Dust does this though.

Are you telling me the protocol you use between devices does not have the functionality to negotiate format capabilities between devices?

It should be an easy thing to implement since all you are doing is saving the file stream coming in over the air waves. Obviously the tablo would only stream this version to MPEG2 capable devices - thinks PC's/Mac's/Tablets with enough processing power.

If the simpletv (aka HDHomeRun) offers this as well as downloads, then these features may just sway me to your competitors.

Are you telling me the protocol you use between devices does not have the functionality to negotiate format capabilities between devices?

It should be an easy thing to implement since all you are doing is saving the file stream coming in over the air waves. Obviously the tablo would only stream this version to MPEG2 capable devices - thinks PC's/Mac's/Tablets with enough processing power.

If the simpletv (aka HDHomeRun) offers this as well as downloads, then these features may just sway me to your competitors.

Right now Tablo is optimized for access on mobile devices and media adapters like Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku. All of these devices require H.264 which is why we transcode and store all video into H.264 format.

If you really need MPEG2 streaming maybe another solution is your best option.

I noticed that the Tablo iPad app was released a while ago (and even updated), but I haven't seen the Android tablet app out yet. Will it be on the Google Play store when the product is released, or does it have to be installed a different way?

I have about everything now (Roku, Chromecast, Android tablet, iPad, Windows laptop, Windows desktop, Windows phone, and iPhone) at my house, and I really can't wait to try this out on all of these devices. Let me see if I have all of this right about playback:
Roku - Tablo Roku app
iPad - Tablo iPad app
Android Tablet - Tablo Android app
Chromecast - via PC/iPad/Android
Windows laptop, desktop, phone - via browser (and is it compatible with all browsers?)

If I want to access my Tablo from outside my home, will it just be accessed by a web interface on all devices (that have a browser)?

I noticed that the Tablo iPad app was released a while ago (and even updated), but I haven't seen the Android tablet app out yet. Will it be on the Google Play store when the product is released, or does it have to be installed a different way?

I have about everything now (Roku, Chromecast, Android tablet, iPad, Windows laptop, Windows desktop, Windows phone, and iPhone) at my house, and I really can't wait to try this out on all of these devices. Let me see if I have all of this right about playback:
Roku - Tablo Roku app
iPad - Tablo iPad app
Android Tablet - Tablo Android app
Chromecast - via PC/iPad/Android
Windows laptop, desktop, phone - via browser (and is it compatible with all browsers?)

If I want to access my Tablo from outside my home, will it just be accessed by a web interface on all devices (that have a browser)?

Thanks again, and I can't wait.

The Android app is currently in beta testing. The plan is to have it ready and available in the Play store for launch.

As for playback options you've got it all pretty much correct! The web-based app is currently optimized for Chrome and Safari (mobile).

Something you may not have considered is if you have a media PC hooked up to your big screen TV at home (like I do) you can use the web-based app without having to worry about Chromecast, Roku or Apple TV. You can just bring up the web page and watch from there like you would Netflix.

We're working with one of our chip suppliers to get them to support AC3 passthrough which would let us do surround sound, so yes it's on the roadmap but it's dependent on them providing firmware. We really want to do it so hopefully we'll be able to convince them

wait. you have to convince a supplier to hopefully provide surround sound? you had no idea going in that said chip might not be able to do it? oof.

Interesting. I noticed that Tablo will no longer provide an antenna, while that was advertised as part of the kit when we all pre-ordered. It's not a big deal to me, as I already have one set up, but other people that pre-ordered might be expecting it. In the FAQ on the main site, you guys have partially updated the section "What do I get when I buy a Tablo" to remove the antenna, but you still have "Please note that the antenna is not optimized for use in all locations and you may need to purchase an additional antenna to capture signals from all channels available in your area." You probably should fix that.